Summers for teachers are bliss. While I don’t want to support the ridiculous idea that we don’t review lesson plans and strategize for the following year, June, July, and August do lend themselves to pursuing hobbies, slowing down to cook meals at home and play with the kids more, and write with abandon. Bliss, indeed.
Except when no clock is ticking, writing often slips to the wayside. During the school year I write on a very regimented schedule…and it works. I hit my word count every day, whether it’s brilliant or bollocks. But when I’ve given unlimited time to write, without the urgency I often wait and write when I’m too tired or distracted. This reality reinforces how important, at least for me, it is to maintain a writing schedule and treat it less like a hobby and more like a profession.
In light of this, I thought I’d share a few different writing routines that have worked for me throughout the years.
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1. Write in the morning. Set your alarm an hour early and make sure you’re writing without distraction. A night of good sleep, however, is the only way to make this work. Going to bed at 2 a.m. and writing at 5 is the surest formula for disaster, and possibly some hilarious writing.

 

1. Turn a lunch break into a writing break. In my one and only office job, I sacrificed lunch in the breakroom for a picnic at my desk where I could shut my door and tap away at the keyboard. After more tedious work, the creative break was just as nourishing as my tuna sandwich.

 

1. Bullet plot points and fill them in on the weekends. This was particularly helpful to me during a hectic professional and personal time when I didn’t have an hour to spare every day, but on the weekends I could devote a few late nights without sacrificing the ideas bubbling in my head during the week.

 

1. Schedule writing sprints with online friends just like you’d book a manicure or a doctor’s appointment. Determine a frequency but put it on your calendar, and make sure others can hold you accountable. Most do this based on a time limit, but I’ve also had luck sprinting with a word count in mind.

 

1. Set the mood with a playlist. This will help you ignore the clock and simply write for the duration of five songs, or fifteen. And if you know what you’ll be writing about, selecting music that amplifies the tone you’re striving for may just push your writing to the next level.

 

1. When all else fails, scrap it. And by scrap it I mean write on scraps whenever you feel the inspiration. I once wrote an entire story on the back of receipts, and it ended up being a fabulous piece. I also love the idea of being able to manipulate and move pieces around to try different chronologies, so writing in bits rather than at once may work well too. But in keeping with the routine, hold yourself accountable by trying to him a minimum of scraps per day.

 

1. Mix it up. A writing routine or schedule may be essential, but it doesn’t have to be stagnant. Your life will change. Your job, the seasons, your family. Be flexible and kind to yourself and remember that as long as you’re writing in some form, you are in fact a writer.

 
For more writing routines, check out The Daily Routines of 12 Famous Writers and happy writing!
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​Last year as a Pitch Wars newbie, I was intimidated but pleasantly shocked at how welcoming the community and contest were. I didn’t make it to Mentee status, but I learned some invaluable tips through my first bumpy try. And I can’t wait to try again this year and see what happens.
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1. Participate in all the Twitter fun. Even if you’re not a social media maven, check out #PitchWars and all the other neat hashtags that go along with it. You don’t need to post, but Mentors will reveal tips and tricks, there will be query giveaways and other contests, and it will keep you motivated to continue.
   
   
2. Make friends! (Yes, digital ones count.) Look for authors who write in your genre or are just generally nice folks. You might find a new critique group. And go beyond Twitter. Look at their author websites and read the blogs that provide everything from craft articles to fun book recommendations.
   
   
3. Trade your work. Everyone is gearing up to make their queries and first chapter perfect. Don’t be afraid to share your writing and have fresh eyes take a look. And be reciprocal.
   
   
4. Don’t be intimidated. Some who participate have been writing for a long time and may seem to have the shiniest, most incredible manuscript in the world. But the thing is their success does not diminish your chances, not one bit. Brenda Drake is a rock star, and there are a slew of mentors that you may possibly work with.
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5. That being said, submit your best. Now isn’t a time to pull out something hasty or experimental. Be confident and put your best foot forward, knowing that writing is extremely subjective and some will love it and some may pass.
   
   
6. Provide support. Buy mentor books (even if they don’t pick you) because after all they’re also authors trying to make it in the big bad publishing world. Lift up others who are having doubts, and let’s face it. We wouldn’t be writers without doubts. Keep following and interacting on Twitter after the contest. Keep an eye on the winners and support them, too.
   
   
7. Be kind to yourself. If mentors request your work, super. If you’re chosen, incredible! If not, keep going. Writing is such an act of love, but often authors forget to love themselves in the process.

 
Good luck!